


The Weight of Consequences

by the_nerd_word



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Gen, Loss, Non-Canonical Violence, Reader-Interactive, lolol this became so confusing for me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-27
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-22 19:57:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 7,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2519873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_nerd_word/pseuds/the_nerd_word
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Scouting Legion faces an unusual number of titans during an expedition beyond the Wall, and you decide Levi's fate.</p><p>This is a small interactive story. Please read the notes before beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ursaborea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ursaborea/gifts).



> READ BEFORE BEGINNING
> 
> Thanks for stopping by! Please note that this is a non-canonical interactive story. Characters and events do not follow the original Attack on Titan plot. After selecting a choice at the end of each segment, go to the number it directs you to, not the following chapter. The numbering is purposely out of order so that consequences aren't predictable. I apologize if there are any mistakes, but this ended up being much more complicated than I was expecting. Feel free to make choices based on Levi's personality or based on your own opinions. Have fun!

The expedition is soured by the crashing steps of titans and the shrill screaming of horses and men. What was, at its most basic, a chance to explore new territory beyond the Wall, is now a casualty-laden disaster. The scouting legion’s formations are broken, scattered by an inexplicably high number of mindless giants that crush and bite and grin with freshly bloodied teeth. Sporting scenes of carnage, the gently rolling landscape offers no protection, no rest; tall grasses whip at the horses’ legs as riders frantically spur their mounts in every direction. And all around them, rain falls. 

“The trees!” Erwin bellows, his own ride rearing in fright as lightning flashes above. “Make for the trees!” 

They’re there in the distance, towering sequoias and reaching pines. Too far away, Levi thinks, but swathes of desperation make him turn his horse anyway. One of the titans sweeps his meaty fists across the ground, and the legion, despite hours of training, disassembles into the code _every man for himself_. And broken is fine if it means alive, so Levi follows suit, urging his mount to gallop. The rain becomes nearly blinding, but the darkness of the forest ahead inspires less concern than the turmoil behind. 

At three-hundred yards to the nearest trunk, the grass begins to thin. At two-hundred and fifty yards, titans are well into the chase; he doesn’t turn to count, only hears the thuds of heavy steps, feels them in the way his horse’s strides aren’t quite steady. At two-hundred yards, the ground starts to turn slick with mud. Only one-hundred and fifty yards, and Levi hears a scream, glimpses the edge of a nightmare in his periphery as a titan suddenly lunges, jaws like a vice as the beast clamps down on another horse and rider. Their screams are nearly indistinguishable in their suffering, and it is only distance that allows the rain to drown out the squelching sounds of their slowly splitting flesh. 

Levi doesn’t allow himself to feel sorrow, but relief (it wasn’t him, not this time, not yet) is harder to shake off.

At one-hundred yards, his blood pounds a loud chorus in his ears. Erwin and a few others are shouting from somewhere far to the right like some cacophonous treble, and the titans’ steps are growing louder and closer, an uneven bass. Levi grips the handle of his 3DMG gear and eyes the nearest tree, calculating his chances. He…

 

 

CHOICE A:  
…doesn’t believe his maneuver cables will reach far enough; aiming for the trees will only cause the line to drop, and if that makes his horse stumble for even a moment, the titans will be upon them. He decides to turn his mount instead to attempt to regroup with Erwin and the others. Numbers could mean survival. **GO TO CHAPTER 5.**

CHOICE B:  
…pulls the trigger on his 3DMG handle, hoping that the cable is long enough to connect to the closest branch. It’s his best option, because turning his horse at this point could be dangerous, and the remainder of the survey corps is far away. If he can gain some height in the trees, he might be able to survive. **GO TO CHAPTER 3.**


	2. Chapter 2

Levi feels like a coward. He tells himself that this is the smartest move, that he is making the best of a terrible situation. 

But it’s retreat. It might even be abandonment.

He doesn’t know if he would have found any other survivors, but the thought adds to his headache. 

He moves from tree to tree, bitter. He knows he’ll have this guilt for as long as he lives. When he reaches the edge of the forest and sees miles of flatlands, part of him hopes he doesn’t live very long. 

“Humanity’s strongest,” he mutters. “What a joke.”

**End.**


	3. Chapter 3

The cable whines as it’s released, streaming through the air like some metallic lifeline. It connects to a thick branch with a solid _thunk_ , and Levi is lifted from the saddle with bruising, familiar speed. The canisters at his side hiss as he soars, momentum tugging at his green cloak, a cape to his desperation. 

Part of him waits for pain, for the moment when the titans’ reach is far enough, their sprinting fast enough, their interest driven enough. He waits to be snatched from the air and thrown into some hot, reeking mouth (and he hears his horse scream as it’s crushed underfoot), but then he lands on the branch, steady and sure despite the slick of the bark, and he thinks, _Safe_. 

The relief is temporary. A group of four titans cluster around the base of the tree, and their weight produces a creaking in the wood. One of them jumps, fingers wiggling, expression concentrated, and it’s wholly reminiscent of a spoiled child whose mother stores the sweets just out of reach. “So damn irritating,” Levi sighs.

His gaze quickly travels from the plains to the forest at his back. He can’t see the rest of the survey corps anymore, only hears yelling from a single voice that’s all too soon silenced. The clouds overheard are dark and rolling, birthing an early evening, although the rain has devolved into a timid drizzle that’s mostly blocked by the leaves. 

He hefts one of his blades and considers dispatching the titans at the base of his tree, but the four are joined by another, and he can hear others grunting in the distance. The tree begins to groan, quivering under the strain of so much weight, and he realizes he’s going to have to seek out taller and broader support further into the woods. With a final look in the direction from which they had traveled – purposely ignoring the smatterings of still-twitching gore that used to be his horse – he propels himself to the next tree, making his way further into the forest. 

Levi angles his movement, aiming straight for the direction he heard Erwin shouting from. He avoids slim branches, not about to risk a fall when so many hungry eyes follow his technology-enabled flight. It is a slow process, and the thickening canopy smothers whatever light the rain clouds cannot. A half-hour goes by, followed by another. Levi finally slows.

He thinks about his situation, makes a crude mental list: too dark to move safely; wet clothes; obscured sense of direction; chilly air; limbs sore now that adrenaline has regressed. 

But no titans nearby, from what he can tell. He takes it as a small comfort and decides that he’ll have to stop for the night. He…

 

 

CHOICE A: ...waits awhile, sitting quietly on a high, sturdy branch. When no titans come stumbling by, he decides to drop to the forest floor to build a modest fire. It is a risk, because the light will surely attract predators both large and larger, but it is necessary against the cold. **GO TO CHAPTER 9.**

CHOICE B: ...waits awhile, sitting quietly on a high, sturdy branch. When no titans come stumbling by, he considers dropping to the forest floor to build a modest fire but dismisses the idea as a foolish risk. It would be safer to try to sleep where he is. The cold is nothing compared to what might find him. **GO TO CHAPTER 13.**


	4. Chapter 4

It takes a long time for Petra to die, and Levi feels acute loss with every little gasp she manages before her heart finally quits. 

The patch from her jacket is heavy in his pocket when he walks away. 

Part of him wonders if he shouldn’t seek out food or water, but anger unfurls in the pit of his stomach, and he begins to pace, back rigid, eyes flat, drive unfocused. He propels himself back into the trees and glares past the trunks, willing another titan to show itself. Willing another beast to exist so that he can destroy. 

(And if he has to close his eyes briefly, fists hitting rough bark to clear away Petra’s blood and his fresh grief at the injustice of their feeble lives, at least nobody is around to witness such human weakness.)

Breaching the canopy reveals an early morning sky, all clear blue with only a few wispy clouds in sight. No smoke, though, no guide other than a strawberry blonde corpse to tell him he’s on the right path, and Levi uses the sun to ascertain his direction once more. He travels quicker than he should, feeling reckless, flashing through the sky like a wraith, and the clanking of his gear is made ugly by the forest’s efforts to soothe with chirps and squeaks and leafy sighs. 

He comes across one titan, and it’s a cold pleasure to dispatch, a small distraction from the heat that has blossomed in his chest. One grins, teeth gnashing like yellowed stones, and it shakes the ground when it falls. A typical reaction for such an atypical expedition. Dissatisfying. But Levi hears the unmistakable stomping of another titan in the near distance, and something else.

There’s a drawn out whine that has him looking perpendicular to the route he had set, entirely opposite to the titan he can hear. He listens for it to repeat, a frown clinging to his features, but all that follows is more stomping. 

It sounded like an animal, that whine, and he hesitates. He knows there are other creatures in these woods besides titans. Deer and rabbits, surely, and predators to hunt them. Plenty of animals could produce such a noise. But if it was a horse…

If it was a horse, he needs to change direction. 

If it wasn’t a horse, and he changes direction, he will only be placing himself further away from other survivors. 

If there are even other survivors to begin with.

_If._

Levi is practical, because optimism is foolish and pessimism is a threat to morale; it is possible there are no others, that Petra was alone because she was the last. If that’s the case, then at the very least, he can kill some of the titans that have caused mankind such anguish. He can avenge. 

There are two options, two directions to choose from, and he…

 

 

 

CHOICE A: …changes direction, ignoring the titan in the other direction and aiming for the source of the whine. Even if it’s only a horse, he’ll earn a ride, and he might be able to track its hoof prints back to where the group entered the forest. If he can find the others, they’ll be able to watch each other’s backs to get through this mess. **GO TO CHAPTER 16.**

CHOICE B: …travels toward the sounds of the titan, ignoring the strange whine. There is no guarantee that he will find other members of the scouting legion, no matter how long he searches. This, if nothing else will feel good, _do_ good. He is alone, but he will have some closure when he sees titan blood. **GO TO CHAPTER 11.**


	5. Chapter 5

Levi seizes the reins in a white-knuckled grip and turns his mare, tearing his gaze from the tree line and feeling a cold weight settle in his stomach when he sees how close the titans are. The horse drops her shoulder into the turn, but she’s exhausted and unbalanced from maintaining such a dire speed, and her hooves slip in the mud. Levi grunts as they go down, and gasps when the mare’s weight falls on him. Mud swells around his mouth, and a few of his ribs audibly crack as the horse frantically tries to regain her footing, but his struggling is short-lived; the nearest titan flings the horse aside like ruined wrapping paper, and it squeezes its distorted thumb and forefinger around Levi’s head. 

Levi feels his neck strain as he’s lifted, even as his eyes bulge from their sockets. There’s pain, and so much pressure, and then there’s nothing.

**End.**


	6. Chapter 6

Levi finds chaos once more.

Blades are slashing, cables are whirring, hands are grasping, trees are quivering, voices are howling, and bodies are snapping.

There is a titan for every human, and looking down upon the Commander, musculature pink and absolutely rippling with power, is a female titan with calculating blue eyes. Her lips peel back from her teeth, grimace or grin, a disturbing curvature of emotion from a skinless monster. She takes a deliberate step toward the Commander, then another, and that’s when Levi sees it. All that blood, all that dripping, shining red.

Erwin is missing his right arm.

The world suddenly feels much smaller, the air much thicker. Stifling and heavy and devastating. Levi finds himself taking slow, deep breaths.

Mike and Hange are overwhelmed, their attention clearly torn between self-preservation and the need to protect their senior officer. They fly through the air at alarming speeds, their blades quick to claim crimson judgment, and they barely manage to avoid becoming food.

Others are not so lucky; Auruo’s shrieks are curdling as the meat is sucked from his legs like fat from a spit.

There is too much movement for an area so small, but strategy would mean _leaving,_ and Levi doesn’t think any of them are prepared for the consequences of abandoning their leader. Their distraction, their inability to let go, will be their collective deaths.

Erwin looks furious, and Levi wonders if he’s actually ordered them to abandon him.

The female titan, an aberrant creature more than any other, tenses suddenly, and Levi realizes with a familiar sort of adrenaline that he has only moments to react.

These men and women likely won’t make it, not without some help. Even if Levi involves himself with the foray, there’s no guarantee any of them will survive the next few minutes. And Erwin’s blood is the catalyst to everything, because once he falters, once he bleeds enough to crumple, the backbone of this survey corps will snap.

 _Petra_ , Levi thinks distantly. _Broken, broken, broken_.

Stay and fight today.

Flee and fight tomorrow.

Certainties end there. 

Time slows, the female titan leaps forward, and Levi…

 

 

CHOICE A: …retreats. He has a responsibility to his men, but he has a greater responsibility to mankind. If he can get back to the Wall, he’ll make sure that the legacy of the scouting legion continues. He’ll offer closure to the families of today, and he’ll share news of this new, skinless threat. No good can come from dying here with the others. **GO TO CHAPTER 20.**  

CHOICE B: …joins the fight. He has a responsibility to mankind, but his men come first. He won’t leave them to fight alone, and he won’t abandon the commander. Even if it costs him his life. That’s what it means to be a part of the scouting legion, to offer up your heart. **GO TO CHAPTER 10.**


	7. Chapter 7

Petra dies with only one last little gasp, and Levi tries not to hear this noise over and over as he leaves her body behind; the patch from her jacket is heavy in his pocket. 

He finds a stream not far away and drinks sparingly. It’s possible the water could make him sick, but the liquid is a small relief on his otherwise empty stomach, the only measure he can take against the headache at his temples.

(And if he has to close his eyes briefly, hands submerged in that painfully cold water to clear away Petra’s blood and his fresh grief, at least nobody is around to witness such human weakness.)

Breaching the canopy reveals an early morning sky, all clear blue with only a few wispy clouds in sight. No smoke, though, no guide other than a strawberry blonde corpse to tell him he’s on the right path, and Levi uses the sun to ascertain his direction once more. He travels, and the clanking of his gear is made ugly by the forest’s efforts to soothe with chirps and squeaks and leafy sighs. 

He comes across two titans, and they’re easy to dispatch, hardly even a distraction from his thoughts. One grins and the other frowns, both gnash teeth like yellowing stones, and both shake the ground when they fall. It is a typical reaction for such an atypical expedition. 

Then he hears it, a drawn out whine that has him looking perpendicular to the route he had set. He waits to hear it again, a frown clinging to his features, but all is quiet. 

It sounded like an animal, and that makes him hesitate. He knows there are other creatures in these woods besides titans. Deer and rabbits, surely, and predators to hunt them. Plenty of animals could produce such a noise. But if it was a horse…

If it was a horse, he needs to change direction. 

If it wasn’t a horse, and he changes direction, he will only be placing himself further away from other survivors. 

If there are even other survivors to begin with.

_If._

Levi is practical, because optimism is foolish and pessimism is a threat to morale; it is possible there are no others, that Petra was alone because she was the last. If that’s the case, then he would be better off finding a way to return to the Wall. Journeying alone will be difficult, especially without a ride, but he has faced similar odds before. 

There are three options, three directions to choose from, and he…

 

 

 

CHOICE A: …retreats. There is no guarantee that he will find other members of the scouting legion. If he heads back to the Wall now, he’ll be able to cover decent ground before nightfall. Better to leave when he has sufficient gas to use the 3D maneuver gear than to allow sentiment to get him stranded and dead. **GO TO CHAPTER 2.**

CHOICE B: …continues in his original direction. If he gets off track, he’ll lose valuable time. He needs to find the others before nightfall; he doesn’t relish another night alone, and he doesn’t think the he’ll be able to handle much more the sleepless cold. **GO TO CHAPTER 14.**

CHOICE C: …changes direction, heading for the source of the whine. Even if it’s only a horse, he’ll earn a ride, and he might be able to track its hoof prints back to where the group entered the forest. If he can find the others, they’ll be able to watch each other’s backs to get through this mess. **GO TO CHAPTER 6.**


	8. Chapter 8

It takes a long time for Petra to die, and Levi can still hear her pained little gasps long after her heart finally quits; the patch from her jacket is heavy in his pocket when he walks away. 

Part of him wonders if he shouldn’t seek out food or water, but nausea curls in the pit of his stomach, and his head is absolutely throbbing. He propels himself back into the trees and sits in an effort to catch his breath.

(And if he has to close his eyes briefly, hands dragging along rough bark to clear away Petra’s blood and his fresh grief, at least nobody is around to witness such human weakness.)

Breaching the canopy reveals an early morning sky, all clear blue with only a few wispy clouds in sight. No smoke, though, no guide other than a strawberry blonde corpse to tell him he’s on the right path, and Levi uses the sun to ascertain his direction once more. He travels slowly, taking aim of each branch with care, and the clanking of his gear is made ugly by the forest’s efforts to soothe with chirps and squeaks and leafy sighs. 

He comes across two titans, and dispatching them takes more effort than it should. One grins and the other frowns, both gnash teeth like yellowing stones, and both shake the ground when they fall. It is a typical reaction for such an atypical expedition. He nearly throws up afterward, hunched over and breathing deeply.

Then he hears it, a drawn out whine that has him looking perpendicular to the route he had set. He waits to hear it again past the soft ringing in his ears, a frown clinging to his features, but all is quiet. 

It sounded like an animal, and that makes him hesitate. He knows there are other creatures in these woods besides titans. Deer and rabbits, surely, and predators to hunt them. Plenty of animals could produce such a noise. But if it was a horse…

If it was a horse, he needs to change direction. 

If it wasn’t a horse, and he changes direction, he will only be placing himself further away from other survivors, and that’s an exhausting thought he doesn’t want to consider. 

If there are even other survivors to begin with.

_If._

Levi is practical, because optimism is foolish and pessimism is a threat to morale; it is possible there are others ahead, in the direction of that noise, but he feels sick, and despite all the movement, he is still chilled. 

There are really only two options, two actions to choose from, and he…

 

 

CHOICE A: …sits and rests. There is no guarantee that he will find other members of the scouting legion. If he can sleep for a few hours, he might be able to regain some of his strength. Besides, propelling through the trees has become nauseating, and it would be dangerous to face titans like that. **GO TO CHAPTER 17.**

CHOICE C: …changes direction, heading for the source of the whine. He’ll push through his nausea, because even if it’s only a horse, he’ll earn a ride, and he might be able to track its hoof prints back to where the group entered the forest. If he can find the others, they’ll be able to watch each other’s backs to get through this mess. **GO TO CHAPTER 12.**


	9. Chapter 9

Levi keeps the fire small, a source of heat that flickers between a few rocks. His sits close to the flames, but he keeps his hands on his 3D maneuver gear, and it is this caution that allows him to successfully retreat to the trees when two titans meander toward the light. 

It is not easy to kill them in such shadows, but he manages it, using the fire as a reference point, forcing his limbs to twist and turn and swing. The air on his face is cold, but the movement warms his body. When the titans fall, he is tempted to stand beside their evaporating corpses, but steam would only further dampen his clothes. 

The night is long, and sleep is hard to find, but he survives.

Daybreak provides a weak albeit rainless filtration through the forest’s canopy. Levi travels to higher branches in order to get a better sense of direction, using the sun and his memory from the previous day to determine a general route since there isn’t any smoke to be seen. He is tired, but as well as can be expected, and he maneuvers through the trees with cool-eyed determination, a blur among the stoic trees. 

It’s nearly impossible to calculate distance, so he sets a conditioned pace and counts the minutes, replacing breadcrumbs with something he can measure. 

After seventeen minutes, he hears a scream; it takes forever, all that quiet searching, the seconds dragging by, the minutes even worse, but it is far too soon to hear that, far too soon for recognition like that. “Dammit,” he grits, and pushes himself to move as fast as he can, flying into the next clearing like a man who can’t feel the planet’s gravitational pull. 

It is too late, he realizes, even as he lands, tenses, and leaps again. Too late, because Petra is trapped within a titan’s grip, and he can hear her body crunching as it’s lifted toward a wide, eager mouth. 

“Hold on!” Levi yells, and then he’s spinning, spiraling downward with both blades extended, expertise in every line. He connects to another tree for a better angle, then swings downward and attaches his next cable to a broad, exposed neck. The flesh along the titan’s spine splits with a spray of hot blood as he slices through, and Levi pivots on one blade in order to swivel his momentum; he runs down the titan’s arm even as they fall, and he’s quick to hack away a few of the giant fingers so that he can pull Petra loose once they hit the ground. The titan’s body begins to steam as he leans over her. 

She’s broken. Arms twisted, breath like static, pelvis partially crushed, stomach black and blue beneath the tears in her uniform. He cradles her like a paper doll. “Petra, I-” He swallows, forces himself to keep his voice steady and his breathing steadier. He wonders if his eyes look cold. 

“C-captain,” she manages, and her voice is broken like the rest of her. 

Levi spares a glance for their surroundings, but they’re entirely alone. He doesn’t know if she was separated from the main group, or if the rest are dead. He can’t bring himself to ask. 

Petra’s lips quiver, and the lines around her mouth and eyes are tight and pale from pain. Every breath clearly costs her. “Th-thank,” she manages, the word not even complete, but he understands, because death beside a comrade is better than one inside a titan’s stomach. 

Birds chirp overhead. He deliberates. She breathes. 

It is a long moment. 

Levi…

 

 

 

CHOICE A: …stays with Petra until she passes, allowing her head to rest in his lap. She is a comrade, and he will not do her the disservice of devaluing her life by abandoning her in death, no matter how long it takes. He has a responsibility to his soldiers. (And she was a friend.) **GO TO CHAPTER 4.**

CHOICE B: …acknowledges that her suffering is unnecessary, and staying with her will only prolong it. He gently covers her eyes and ignores the rush of gut-wrenching guilt as he quickly slides a blade across her throat. He has a responsibility to his soldiers. (And it would be smart to keep moving.) **GO TO CHAPTER 7.**


	10. Chapter 10

Levi cleaves a path through the female titan’s Achilles tendons, and blood spurts into the air as she stumbles.

He doesn’t have time to look at the Commander, doesn’t see the thankful smile there, because he’s already rotating, diving into a spin to fly back toward the enemy. Instinct has him seeking those muscled-rimmed baby blues, and sure enough, they’re watching _everything_.

She’s something new, a creature of primordial bite and modern spite, and her gaze is sharp as she observes.

Levi doesn’t have time to register fear as he spirals past, but when she abruptly lunges forward and snaps, it is only experience that allows him to careen to the side; he still feels the warmth from her breath, hears the decisive snap of her teeth like fate’s taut string as he soars away to land on a high branch. It is… a humbling miss. “Bitch,” he acknowledges.

Her expression doesn’t change.

Erwin moves to the same tree, pale-faced but steady. Levi expects that the commander will be sure-footed up until the point he keels over. “Glad to see you’re alive,” Erwin says, and the words are only a little strained.

Levi squares his stance and huffs once, watching as the female’s heels regenerate. “This trip has been a real shitstorm,” he says, deadpan.

“Agreed.”

Levi spares him a quick look, eyes flittering between the fresh tourniquet and the enemy at their front. “Don’t bleed out.”

“I’ll do my best,” Erwin assures him.

The female titan stands, her posture beckoning. Motion resumes.

Seconds blur, and minutes are no better. The air becomes a frenzy of screeching metallic lines, broken trees, and last-moment saves. She’s an intelligent killer. When she realizes that she can’t predict his quicksilver rotations, she begins removing anchors; the trees become skeletal without their branches, and wood splinters dangerously through the air.

Levi is wholly unprepared for the moment when her spine suddenly mineralizes into azure quartz. The strike vibrates up his arms, and he waits too long to rebound, has to slice through fingers when she yanks on one of his cables. He manages to get away, but his leg is, “royally fucked,” a clear disadvantage among the rest.

Still, they parry, with Erwin’s efforts getting fewer and farther between.

Levi has two blades left, the rest broken or lodged in muscle. He pants, feeling sweat drip from his hairline past his nose. He hefts his weapons with splinter marred arms and can’t help but wonder – as he prepares to leap once more, to fight for all he has left – if humanity has more to fear than it realizes.

Then Hange and Mike land on the branch next to him, and he realizes the female titan is the only monster left.  She seems to realize it, too.

One breath.

Mike sniffs loudly despite his bloody nose. “You ready?”

Two breaths.

Hange tries for a laugh, but the sound is hollow. “What a day.”

Three breaths.

“Erwin?” Levi asks.

Four breaths.

The commander hums from his side of the tree. “Still here.”

Five breaths, and they feel like eternity.

 _So many choices_ , Levi thinks _, to arrive at this particular moment. Did I make those?_

They fly forward, the last of a legion, placing claims on life in a greedy world.

Levi’s blade strikes true.

They go home.

**End.**


	11. Chapter 11

The next few hours are a bloodbath. Levi hunts, and keeps hunting. His blades part flesh like water, and every fallen beast brings a taste of satisfaction as well as a desire for more. He is alone, but that’s alright. 

He knows this work. Knows it well. 

He can kill these creatures so that they never can.

Time passes. It is only when on the brink of exhaustion that Levi realizes evening has arrived, and he has no idea where he is. 

Morning does not find him. 

**End.**


	12. Chapter 12

Levi finds chaos once more. 

Blades are slashing, cables are whirring, hands are grasping, trees are quivering, voices are howling, and bodies are snapping. It’s disorientating to watch. 

There is a titan for every human, and looking down upon the Commander, musculature pink and absolutely rippling with power, is a female titan with calculating blue eyes. Her lips peel back from her teeth, grimace or grin, a disturbing curvature of emotion from a skinless monster. She takes a deliberate step toward the Commander, then another, and that’s when Levi sees it. All that blood, all that dripping, shining red.

Erwin is missing his right arm. 

The world suddenly feels much smaller, the air much thicker. Stifling and heavy and devastating. Levi finds himself swallowing back bile. 

Mike and Hange are overwhelmed, their attention clearly torn between self-preservation and the need to protect their senior officer. They fly through the air at alarming speeds, their blades quick to claim crimson judgment, and they barely manage to avoid becoming food. 

Others are not so lucky; Auruo’s shrieks are curdling as the meat is sucked from his legs like fat from a spit. 

There is too much movement for an area so small, but strategy would mean _leaving_ , and Levi doesn’t think any of them are prepared for the consequences of abandoning their leader. Their distraction, their inability to let go, will be their collective deaths. 

Erwin looks furious, and Levi wonders if he’s actually ordered them to abandon him. 

The female titan, an aberrant creature more than any other, tenses suddenly, and Levi realizes with a familiar sort of dread that he has only moments to react.

These men and women likely won’t make it, not without some help. Even if Levi involves himself with the foray, there’s no guarantee any of them will survive the next few minutes. And Erwin’s blood is the catalyst to everything, because once he falters, once he bleeds enough to crumple, the backbone of this survey corps will snap.

 _Petra_ , Levi thinks distantly. _Broken, broken, broken._

Stay and fight today.

Flee and fight tomorrow. 

Certainties end there. 

Time slows, the female titan leaps forward, and Levi…

 

 

 

CHOICE A: …retreats. He has a responsibility to his men, but he has a greater responsibility to mankind. If he can get back to the Wall, he’ll make sure that the legacy of the scouting legion continues. He’ll offer closure to the families of today, and he’ll share news of this new, skinless threat. No good can come from dying here with the others, especially with his poor health. **GO TO CHAPTER 19.**

CHOICE B: …joins the fight. He has a responsibility to mankind, but his men come first. He won’t leave them to fight alone, and he won’t abandon the commander. Even if it costs him his life. That’s what it means to be a part of the scouting legion, to offer up your heart. **GO TO CHAPTER 15.**


	13. Chapter 13

Levi stays safe within the trees. Nighttime keeps the titans relatively inactive, and he doesn’t spot any throughout the night. He tries to sleep, exhausted despite his wariness, but the cold keeps him shivering, and the wet fabric of his cloak offers no comfort. 

Nevertheless, he survives.

Daybreak provides a weak albeit rainless filtration through the forest’s canopy. Levi travels to higher branches in order to get a better sense of direction, using the sun and his memory from the previous day to determine a general route since there isn’t any smoke to be seen. He is tired, and he sniffs frequently from a runny nose, but he maneuvers through the trees with cool-eyed determination, a blur among the stoic trees. 

It’s nearly impossible to calculate distance, so he sets a conditioned pace and counts the minutes, replacing breadcrumbs with something he can measure. 

After seventeen minutes, he hears a scream; it takes forever, all that quiet searching, the seconds dragging by, the minutes even worse, but it is far too soon to hear that, far too soon for recognition like that. “Dammit,” he grits, and pushes himself to move as fast as he can, flying into the next clearing like a man who can’t feel the earth’s gravitational pull. 

It is too late, he realizes, even as he lands, tenses, and leaps again. Too late, because Petra is trapped within a titan’s grip, and he can hear her body crunching as it’s lifted toward a wide, eager mouth. 

“Hold on!” Levi yells, and then he’s spinning, spiraling downward with both blades extended, expertise in every line despite the dizzying headache this produces. He connects to another tree for a better angle, then swings downward and attaches his next cable to a broad, exposed neck. The flesh along the titan’s spine splits with a spray of hot blood as he slices through, and Levi pivots on one blade in order to swivel his momentum; he runs down the titan’s arm even as they fall, and he’s quick to hack away a few of the giant fingers so that he can pull Petra loose once they hit the ground. The titan’s body begins to steam as he leans over her. 

She’s broken. Arms twisted, breath like static, pelvis partially crushed, stomach black and blue beneath the tears in her uniform. He cradles her like a paper doll. “Petra, I-” He swallows, forces himself to keep his voice steady and his breathing steadier. He wonders if his eyes look as cold as his skin feels. 

“C-captain,” she manages, and her voice is broken like the rest of her. 

Levi spares a glance for their surroundings, but they’re entirely alone. He doesn’t know if she was separated from the main group, or if the rest are dead. He can’t bring himself to ask. 

Petra’s lips quiver, and the lines around her mouth and eyes are tight and pale from pain. Every breath clearly costs her. “Th-thank,” she manages, the word not even complete, but he understands, because death by a comrade is better than one inside a titan’s stomach. 

Birds chirp overhead. He deliberates. She breathes. 

It is a long moment. 

Levi…

 

 

 

CHOICE A: …stays with Petra until she passes, allowing her head to rest in his lap. She is a comrade, and he will not do her the disservice of devaluing her life by abandoning her in death, no matter how long it takes. He has a responsibility to his soldiers. (And she was a friend.) **GO TO CHAPTER 8.**

CHOICE B: …acknowledges that her suffering is unnecessary, and staying with her will only prolong it. He gently covers her eyes and ignores the rush of gut-wrenching guilt as he quickly slides a blade across her throat. He has a responsibility to his soldiers. (And it would be smart to keep moving.) **GO TO CHAPTER 7.**


	14. Chapter 14

Levi continues on the path he was on, but the remainder of the day is quiet. Hours go by, and although the woods are populated by a few titans and a skinny pack of coyotes, he comes across no sign of his company. Not a trace. 

He begins to wonder if he should've chosen a different route, if he's only venturing further into unexplored lands. As evening closes in and his headache worsens, he begins to prepare for another cold night. 

Things do not improve.

**End.**


	15. Chapter 15

Levi cleaves a path through the female titan’s Achilles tendons, and blood spurts into the air as she stumbles.

He doesn’t have time to look at the Commander, doesn’t see the thankful smile there, because his head is spinning from the next rotation.  It’s a sloppy dive that leads him back toward the enemy. Instinct has him seeking those muscled-rimmed baby blues, and sure enough, they’re watching _everything_.

She’s something new, a creature of primordial bite and modern spite, and her gaze is sharp as she observes. He coughs, feeling pain in his temples, knowing how he must look, knowing how this will end.

Levi doesn’t have time to register fear as he spirals past (a small part of him imagines, though, that he hears Erwin warning him to retreat).

Her backhand strikes him full force midair, and all imagining ceases.

 

**End.**


	16. Chapter 16

Levi finds chaos once more. 

Blades are slashing, cables are whirring, hands are grasping, trees are quivering, voices are howling, and bodies are snapping. 

There is a titan for every human, and looking down upon the Commander, musculature pink and absolutely rippling with power, is a female titan with calculating blue eyes. Her lips peel back from her teeth, grimace or grin, a disturbing curvature of emotion from a skinless monster. She takes a deliberate step toward the Commander, then another, and that’s when Levi sees it. All that blood, all that dripping, shining red.

Erwin is missing his right arm. 

The world suddenly feels much smaller, the air much thicker. Stifling and heavy and devastating. Levi finds himself gritting his teeth. 

Mike and Hange are overwhelmed, their attention clearly torn between self-preservation and the need to protect their senior officer. They fly through the air at alarming speeds, their blades quick to claim crimson judgment, and they barely manage to avoid becoming food. 

Others are not so lucky; Auruo’s shrieks are curdling as the meat is sucked from his legs like fat from a spit. 

There is too much movement for an area so small, but strategy would mean _moving_ , would mean _leaving_ , and Levi doesn’t think any of them are prepared for the consequences of abandoning their leader. Their distraction, their inability to let go, will be their collective deaths. 

Erwin looks furious, and Levi wonders if he’s actually ordered them to abandon him. 

The female titan, an aberrant creature more than any other, tenses suddenly, and Levi realizes with a familiar sort of white-hot adrenaline that he has only moments to react.

These men and women likely won’t make it, not without some help. Even if Levi involves himself with the foray, there’s no guarantee any of them will survive the next few minutes. And Erwin’s blood is the catalyst to everything, because once he falters, once he bleeds enough to crumple, the backbone of this survey corps will snap.

 _Petra_ , Levi thinks distantly. _Broken, broken, broken._

Stay and fight today.

Flee and fight tomorrow. 

Certainties end there. 

Time slows, the female titan leaps forward, and Levi…

 

 

CHOICE A: …retreats. He has a responsibility to his men, but he has a greater responsibility to mankind. If he can get back to the Wall, he’ll make sure that the legacy of the scouting legion continues. He’ll offer closure to the families of today, and he’ll share news of this new, skinless threat. No good can come from dying here with the others. **GO TO CHAPTER 20.**

CHOICE B: …joins the fight. He has a responsibility to mankind, but his men come first. He won’t leave them to fight alone, and he won’t abandon the commander. Even if it costs him his life. That’s what it means to be a part of the scouting legion, to offer up your heart. **GO TO CHAPTER 18.**


	17. Chapter 17

It takes a while for Levi to get comfortable, and he spends the time feeling congested and chilled to the bone. When he closes his eyes, he can still see Petra’s mangled body. It is an image that follows him even into his dreams. There is brief sleep, but no rest, and when he awakens he feels worse than before. 

The environment is indifferent, and life goes on without him.

**End.**


	18. Chapter 18

Levi cleaves a path through the female titan’s Achilles tendons, and blood spurts into the air as she stumbles.

He doesn’t have time to look at the Commander, doesn’t see the thankful smile there, because he’s already rotating, diving into a spin to fly back toward the enemy. Instinct and anger have him seeking those muscled-rimmed baby blues, and sure enough, they’re watching _everything_.

She’s something new, a creature of primordial bite and modern spite, and her gaze is sharp as she observes. Levi returns her stare with a snarl.

He doesn’t have time to register fear as he spirals past, doesn’t give caution its rightful due, still feeling the hot-cold spikes of his earlier frustration. When she abruptly lunges forward and snaps, breath hot and teeth sharp, it is… He doesn’t…

“No!” he screams, like so many have screamed before.

His spine is severed with a loud crunch.

 

**End.**


	19. Chapter 19

Levi feels like a coward. He tells himself that this is the smartest move, that he is making the best of a terrible situation. 

But it’s retreat. It’s _abandonment_.

He moves from tree to tree, his thoughts bitter and self-deprecating. He knows he’ll have this guilt for as long as he lives, and as he stops to cough, throat sore and headache pulsing, he’s not sure how long that’ll be. 

He doesn’t make it to the edge of the forest before titans and nightfall find him again. 

**End.**


	20. Chapter 20

Levi feels like a coward. He tells himself that this is the smartest move, that he is making the best of a terrible situation. 

But it’s retreat. It’s _abandonment_.

He moves through the trees without enthusiasm, feeling bitter and self-deprecating as he wonders how long his comrades will last before they're eaten, before their bodies are reduced to pieces of meat. He knows he’ll have this guilt for as long as he lives. Seeing the edge of the forest and the miles of flatlands that lay before the Wall, part of him hopes he doesn’t live very long. 

“Humanity’s strongest,” he mutters quietly. “What a joke.” 

**End.**


End file.
